The Problem is that Spongiform Encephalopathies don't show up in a simple Blood Test or in a routine Physical Exam ... Onset is insidious (gradual) and there is a long Latency Period ... Definitive Diagnosis can be made only by Biopsy or at Autopsy ... By the Time the Disease is suspected, it is already far advanced ...

The bottom Line is: DO NOT EVER EAT "Brains" from ANY Species ... And IF some good Friend or a Relative gifts you with some "Deer Sauasage" DO NOT EAT ANY OF IT as you don't know for sure is the Brain and Spinal Cord were incoporated or not ...

Prion Diseases are no Joke and are not yet really well understood ... SOME Authorities loudly assert that Prion Diseases do NOT jump from one Species to another, but there are Indications otherwise ...

No big deal. Prion diseases pop up once in awhile. This isolated case was caught well before the animal got close to our food production. And, just think... the Regressive Republicans want to do away with programs like this. They believe it is an undue burden on business. They'd rather spend our money on wars instead of on making sure our food is safe.

So, again, this is no big deal. It does show that the system for making sure our food is safe is working.

Dave - Just a Man in the Mountains.

"I will not attack your doctrines nor your creeds if they accord liberty to me. If they hold thought to be dangerous - if they aver that doubt is a crime, then I attack them one and all, because they enslave the minds of men."― Robert G. Ingersoll,

...Wouldn't a major issue be cattle who are infected would need to be destroyed?

No. This is an isolated incident. No other cattle were involved. All cattle are checked for prion disease (aka "mad cow disease") before it enters the food chain.

Dave - Just a Man in the Mountains.

"I will not attack your doctrines nor your creeds if they accord liberty to me. If they hold thought to be dangerous - if they aver that doubt is a crime, then I attack them one and all, because they enslave the minds of men."― Robert G. Ingersoll,

I agree that FDA Inspections are WAY under-funded ... So far we've mostly been LUCKY to have had so few Problems ...

BUT ... Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy appears NOT to be a significant Problem in The USA, especially now that Cattle Feed Protocols have been improved ... Stick to "Red Meat," AVOID "Brains," and you'll be okay ... for now ...